Frederick Law Olmsted, the famed landscape architect and designer of Central Park in New York, visited Newark and Essex County and recommended a site encompassing what is now Branch Brook Park. Olmsted and his partner, Calvert Vaux, envisioned Branch Brook Park to be a "grand central park" for the City of Newark. They understood that American cities of the 19th century were growing quickly and changing rapidly. The parks they designed embodied their view that all people, regardless of their position in society, were entitled to fresh air, quiet places and the beauty that only nature can provide.
The formal gardens of Branch Brook Park include a total of five distinct regions: Olmsted, Mendelssohn, Kiyo Path Meander, Kiyofumi Sakaguchi Memorial Grove and Concourse Hill. Entering from Clifton Ave, park visitors are first welcomed with the bright vegetation of Concourse Hill, complete with a rose garden, woodland garden, and urban farm garden bed. The remainder of the gardens are located along the east side of the Southern Division and framed by Branch Brook Lake.
The formal gardens of Branch Brook Park include a total of five distinct regions: Olmsted, Mendelssohn, Kiyo Path Meander, Kiyofumi Sakaguchi Memorial Grove and Concourse Hill. Entering from Clifton Ave, park visitors are first welcomed with the bright vegetation of Concourse Hill, complete with a rose garden, woodland garden, and urban farm garden bed. The remainder of the gardens are located along the east side of the Southern Division and framed by Branch Brook Lake.
Keymap highlighting the location of 5 formal gardens of Branch Brook Park
Click on the images below to explore the beauty of our gardens:
Website Development and Advising: Mouli Luo
Photos and Garden Renderings: Nicole Vuono
Photos and Garden Renderings: Nicole Vuono
